Signaling device for pneumatic tires



Nov. 9, 1943. .M. A. HOGHAUG 2,334,095 I SIGNALING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATICTIRES Filed April 14, 1941 Patented Nov. 9, 1943 Trims VMaurice A.Hoghaug, Mahnomen, Minn.

Application April `1t, 1941,'serie1Ne. assv l comme., (01116434) Myinvention relates to apneumatictire deflation warning device which isadapted to take the place of the cap which ordinarily closes the'valvestem of a pneumatic tire.

My warning device is small and compactV andl may be easily attachedtothe valvestem, either so that the valve in the` stemis depressed Vtoopen it, or the same removed and my warning device used as la caphon4the valve stemto' close the tire. o f

A feature resides in providingy awarninlgdevice :for pneumatic tireswhich will giv'e `a "signal to the operator of the automobile or truckon whchfthe pneumatic tires are used and where Ythe tireskare equippedwith my warningdevice, so' 'that' the operator may know by the sound ofthe particular warning device which tirehas become *deflate ed to adangerous point. This I accomplish by khaving different soundingdevices, suchas'har'- monica sounding devices,.on the various caps'ofthe different tires. l r It is also a feature to provide fa lwarning`device which may *employA fa whistlingV action to warnrthe operator oracar'that the tire has de-` flated to a dangerous point. i

`operate to provide a warning means if the `tire l Figure yautomobilewheel 4showing *my warning device `atbecomes deated to a dangerouspredetermined point.

Thesefeatures, together with ether-details and objects, will be vmorefully and clearly hereinafter set forth.V` n o o In the drawing forminga part -of this specificationzu Y Y 1 1 ,is a side elevation ofaport'ion of fan tached to the valve stem thereof.- A i Figure 2 Ais`anenlanged side View of mywarn.-

.ing device.

Figure 3 isa `longitudinal `cross#"section `on the line 3,-3o`f Figure2. f

Figure 4 is a cross-section similar to `Figure 3,

. `showing theV valve in-my warning device inV such a position so Vastoshutoff the air so-that the tire f iwillnot become entirely deflated e aFigure 5 is a top view of mywarning device.`

"with the protective rubber4 cover i taken en. and

A further ufeature of primary 'importance.` in` Vtain amount of air toescapethrough the warningdevice to sound'an alarm, "and as thetirecontinues to `deiiate, by reasonof the warning device operating,permittingfai-"to escape lmy, device resides in means `for permitting"a, cershowing only two side wall grooves,` rather than through thewarningI device, the warning `,device automatically adjusts its vvalveVto shut off'` the `escape "of air so that the` tirewill not becometotally deated. v

lMy warning device may be, provided" with a rubber cover over the top ofthe same'vtov keep it free and clean of dirtfand"dust,..which cover` isadapted to blow up andiexplode by airfpressure from within the warningdevice 'When the air pressure the tire ope'ratestl'ie warning device tosound an alarm.

It isv also apparent thattheshap'e of `my warn- "ing device/can be ofany desired nature such as octagonal, hexagonal, or any'other shape.'However, I have found that a cylindrical shape is desirable, asitprovides a smooth," neat,` compact` warning device. i

`The construction of "my warning device is very simple. It is composedof asmall number of op- Ashowing one harmonica reed.

device.

` "Figure' is a similar plant View.. to- Figure L 6, showing threeFigure 8 is a-cross-sectiononthe line 8-1-8of Figure 3, showing thelongitudinally extending grooves in the sideV Walls-of thecasing.`

i Figure 9 is a similar `cros'sse'ction to-Figure8,

l four, as arey shown in Figure `8.`

o My pneumatic tiredeation warninfgldevic'erA isillustrated attached to'the valve stem l0 ofa tire l IVI,` only a portionfof whichfis shown inthe The-warning device AmaylloeI made with any outer design, such ascylindrical, as shown in Figure 2 and in the other gures of the drawing,

or it may be hexagonal or octagonal, as the case may be, withoutdepartingfrom the principlesof the 'construction which will behereinafter more r clearly denedg* l l 1n the drawing I have Ishown mywarning device for pneumatic tires lof-"af cylindrical-shape,

` the bodylZ being formedtubular andhavinginf ternal threads I3 jformedtherein at the lower` erating parts, as well the xed parts whichA y canbe inserted in placefin the cylindrical housji ing very easily, andv bysimplyv screwing the ,warn-f ing` device onto the threads `ofthepresentvalve Istem of .the tire, the same is in "place ready tol end.The `upper endis threadeda't Hl` and is adapted to receive" thevfrustro-conicalfsound head l5. The inner end of themember "l5 is openat lo to permit'air to enterinto thehollow 1 sound head-l5 in` theoperation of my warning x Within thefsou'ndhead t5, I provide a soundsupporting element ,the b`ody of whichis conical "sound rreeds inVthetopof `my warnin shape and the same being hollow, such as the memberI1. The member. I1 is adapted to be fixed in the sound head I5 in anysuitable manner, and the upper enlarged end is adapted to carry or beformed with a sound reed I8 to provide a harmonic sounding element suchas is illustrated in Figure 6. The head I5 may support asound elementI'I which is provided with one or more sound reeds I8, as illustrated inFigure 7, showing three-sound reeds I8. The soundhead I5 is adapted tobe'secured by the threads I4 in the head end of the Warning device A, tokeep dust anddirt out of the same. `The center portion 2| of the cap 20may be formed Weakenedon the circular line 22, so that the centerportion; 2I will blow out when the air pressure from-in- Vof the soundheadglj'to, closethe sameby air pressurejljom `Withirnthe tire II whenVthe tire is properly'infiated.A

L The inner lower end Yof the warning device v`A is provided with ahollow tubular member 28 which is threaded intothe threads I tandwhichis pro-v IEvided with an axial opening 25101.A the, passage of airthrough the same. The innerendl-ofthe member 281s formed conicalatandisadapted to tyinside ofthe valve stem Ill, so that'"3i/ hen` theWarning g devicej .Ais threaded to fvalve Astem w. the-@Qnmatenaza wurmnto `the valvev stem I8 to form anairftight joint. and tope'rm'itv4`theair fromv the-tire I ltopass through the opening 2.5;and actagainst the plunger valve, .23.

forcing the sameagainst the spring 24, ,to com@ i l:pressV the sameandfclose ,the opening the tireyl I is up to'normalinflation pressure.`l

The inner Wall ofthe body lI2 of the warning fde'vice A` may j be formedWithlongitudinally ei;- tendinggrooves ,'21, as-illustrated in Figures4' and 8. The groovesv 2T extend for a predetermined distancev alongtheinner surface ofthe Wall'of the body` I2` and provideV air passagewaysso as topermitair toA escape around the valve 23 when the air pressurein theY tire ,II drfops 'toa dangerous .pointy below the normal requiredair. pressure for keeping `'the Ytire II properly'v in- .'.flaedf ,m-

Inloperatiorn4 I',l1 e .warningdevice A isattached to the valvestem I 'l/as4 illustrated, and the airV ,pressure within the -tireII lforces theplunger valve-23 against the opening I6, closing the valve stern IU andkeeping the.airsealed.withinthe` tire- I I. Should the :tire I Iforfany'r reason whatsoever-, become deflated to a dangerous point, thespring 24 will overcome the air pressure within the `tireand push thevalve 2 3 down into a position inV theidevice A,v .so; that air from thetire may escape through theopeningl and throught-.he

openings 2 1, around the, valve 23, andout through the sound head I5,operating thesound reeds I8 to provide a warning signal to theautomobilist advising him that the pressure inthe tire VII has droppedto a' dangerous point.

As long as the valve 23Visin the areaof 4the grooves can vbe varied; andby makingthe grooves longer, the'length of time `that'the@warning*is'.sounded is" l'engthenedg';'andU by" making the? 'q grooves'l shorter,"thelength of time lthat-#the y. warning is! sou'ndedjs reduced.`Inil'arger v'ehiclesf'a warning device would b e made wher'infthe'length ofthe grooveswould undoubtedlybe lmade longer so as toprovide alo ngerfwaining.V For examplefay truck ,would requireaff'longer warning as the noise of .the truckitself makesitdiricultto-hearoutside sounds-. The grooves i may bleVlshapedQr'semi'fcircular. v' f The` pisto'nljZS'imaYbe .lubricated fwgraphite.or.'l other `-suitab1fefmaterialsof, t a will slide freelywithinthebo'ty I2at all-tines v ing device A.

2,334,095 l I j -slots 21 so that each end of the slots 21 are open, l

air Will pass out through the opening I6 and II decreases, the valve 23will drop to the position illustrated in Figure 4, bringing the rubber.

gasket 30 against the projecting annularrib 3l on the member 28, closingthe warning device and preventing the complete deflationof the tire IIIn Figure' 9 I have illustrated onlytwo air'passageway's 21 extendingalong-'the wall of the warn- It Will also be apparent, that inprovidedwith va whistle opening in place of these Y reeds, so that whenair escapes through the same uit will form a Whistling sound. It is alsoobvious that the sound' making device I'I may be of any suitable form ornature.

` It will be'apparent that my warning device Av is compactinnature,'composed-of only a few parts and simple in', construction, so--that thesame Amay be easily madeythereby providing reasonably priced devicewhich may 'be A'usrl'jili placeofthe ordinary cap onfthervalve stemof apneumatic.tire,jthereby providingawarning V device when the tire becomesdeflated-'to' a dani gerous point-" v My device/may bemade in diff'l'ent sizes iora'` large or small tire, and'is very'd@ v' 'A sirable toprovide a @meansjof warning against the deflation of tires' tov adangerous, point` 'Thus it will be :apparent that I haveprovitli cavvery simple `inexpensive warning.v devicef'or pneumatictires which'isadapted to? warngtle motorist so thatfhe'fmay `knowwhen'listir'es`become deflated toja dangerous pointff 'I-li'u'sfmy device, when usedon tiresjas hereinbefore lsetv forth; should save the Amotoristrconsiderable ex'- motorist that the tireshave becomedeflated.

these" devices are complicatedand expensive to -V manufacture, whereasmyl device Ais of; a;

inexpensive'natur'e and 'is provided wit'ha sund `head I5 which may bereplaced or easily vs etiin place tooperate, and maybe Inadein 'diie'entforms,l and "o-f'f different-characters;- other v'than tlio'se hereinset forth` without departingirom y the spirit and intent oijmyinvention, yet Within the scope ofV thepending claims. Simplicit'yis iof `primary importance in my invention Aiurtherffeature 'ofmyfdeviceiis'thauthe` K 4amountoifai'r that isjallowed' to escapebefore'tlle valve'shut'sl offV {the 'escaping air, is` limited-byltheflengtlfivof the f gro'ovesl 21 which' areprovided place of the Yreeds nI8 the sound supporting element I1 may -be 2,334,095 `The gaskets23 and 3D maybe offany suitable material, and they are spaced from theinner Walls of the body I2 so that they do not contact or rub on thesame Thus the piston 23 isl free to operate in either direction inthebody l2 and without being retarded by any gasket means contacting theinner surface ror the body. In this manner I provide a moredesirablejoperatformedand arrangedfor normally closingsaid cap topreventthe escape of airtherethrough, a series of longitudinally extendinggrooves in the side walls of said cap, spring means for forcing saidvalve into openposition when the air pressure in the pneumatic tire towhich said `cap is attachedbecomes deflated to a dangerous point, saidlongitudinally extending grooves adapted to ing means than has beenaccomplished heretoi fore for providing the proper functioning of theparts at any moment.

The hood 29 is formed with a reinforcingintegral annular bead 33 `whichnormally fits Ainl the annular groove 34 formed in the outer wall of thecasing I2. Thus the reinforcing bead 33 is a-dapted to grip in thegroove 35 and hold the 'l hood 2i) in place on the head of the warningLdeviceA. Further, in operation of the Warning device A, the hood 20performs two important functions: `one to keep the top of the device Aclean from any dirt, and the other to provide a balloon-like warningsignal which is adapted to explode .when the tire becomes deflated to adangerous point.

Warn a motorist that his tire or any of his tires have become deflated,to a dangerous point.

In this manner VI provide a warning device A As the hood 20 explodes,it` will make a sharp explosion noise,-warning theY motorist, andthereafter the sound device |81wi11 continue to operate for a longenough period to by-pas's air from the pneumatic tire upon the movementof said valve, `whereby, said protecting hood is exploded by the airunder pressure es-` caping from said cap `and said sound device is`operated to provide a warning signal, and said valve adapted toautomatically shut oi the escape of air through saidlongitudinally'extending grooves upon air pressureV decreasinga'zpredetermined amount to prevent thetire Vfrom being entirely.deiiated.

2. A rwarning signal forV pneumatic tires adapted to indicate deflationofthe same, in-

and downwardly*from` said flange, said wall portions adapted to form avalve seat, a pair of n longitudinally extending `grooves in the Wallsof with a dual function, one of whichwarns'thev motorist `by vanexplosive v noise,` whereas the other warning is sounded for aprolonged' period. v

of time. Y

I claim: i 1. A warning device for indicating the dellation of pneumatictires, including a cap-like` member, means for attaching said member `tothe valve ystern of a pneumatic tire, a sound making device in said cap,an air-tight hood member of yieldable material for normally closing said`said `tubular casing, a piston in said tubular leasing,`aspringpositioned between said' ilange and said piston, said pistonnormally closing said sound head by engaging said valve seat, and

" said piston in said casingmoving downwardly sound making device, avalve within said cap when the air pressure in said casing is decreased,

said piston allowing air to by-pass through said longitudinallyextending grooves to operateV said soundvproducing member in said soundhead, and said spring adapted to move said piston past ,saidgroovesthereby shutting oir the escapingv air through saidgroovesbeforethe tire becomesv v further deflated;

. MAURICE A. HOGHAUG.

